Improvement in powder-flasks



T. L. STURTEVANT.

Impr'ovement lin POwdeVr-Flasks.

Patented luly 2,1872.

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UNITED STATES THOMAS L. STURTEVANT, OF FRAMINGHAM, MASSAGHSETTS.

PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN POWDER-FLASKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,673, dated July 2, 1872.

To all to whom these presents shall come Be it known that I, Tnoivnls L. STURTE- VANT, of Framingham, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have made an invention of certain new and useful Improvements in Sportsmens Powder-Flasks; and do hereby declare the nature of the said improvements and their purposes and advantages to be `fully described in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a plan, Fig. 2 a side elevation and Fig. 3 a vertical section, of a powder-Hash containing my improvements.

Thisinvention is intended, mainly, for the convenience of sportsmen in the field, to enable them to fill or reload empty cartridgef cases with rapidity and accuracy, and without waste of powder; but the invention possesses, as wellafeatures of utility, which render it useful and convenient under any circumstances where extreme accuracy in measuringa charge of gunpowder for sportingguns is desirable.

The drawing accompanying this specica tion represents at A the body of a sportsnians pocket powder-ask, the screw cap-plate which closes its mouth being seen at B, and the discharging-nose, or tube through which the powder is poured, at G. D represents the sliding or adjustable sleeve, which slides upon the tube C and serves to increase or diminish the capacity of the tube. E represents the swinging cut-olil or gate which closes the mouth of the ask or the lower end of the tube C, such cut-o being closed by a curved spring, F, which is connected to it and to the cap-plate, and encircling the periphery of the latter, as shown. G represents a rocking bar or lever fulcrumedmto the sleeve D, and which impinges at its inner end against a knob or arm, H, affixed to the free end of the spring F, such lever, at its outer extremity, being pivoted to the outer end of a thin plate or gate, I, which at certain times extends into and across the sleeve D, and so as to tightly lill the same, it being observed that while the cut-off is closed by the action of the spring the stopper I is opened by it. a a. a, 85o., in the drawing represents a series of notches formed in one side of a slot or opening, b, made in the sleeve D, while in conjunction with this range of notches I affix to the tube C a pin, c, which, by taking into any one of the notches, serves to maintain the sleeve in an immovable position upon the tube. The purpose of the slot is to prevent rotation of the sleeve upon the tube to upon the outer end of the lever G, and inverted. The mouth of the sleeve D is placed over each empty cartridge-case in succession, and, by a pressure of the thumb, the stopper or gate I is pressed inward with a quick movement, which has the effect of opening the cut-oli' E- and llin g the combined tube and sleeve with powder, the release of the thumb allowing the 'force of the spring to instantly close the cutoff E and open the gate I and allow the powder in the tube to run into the cartridge-case. The length of the arm His such that the end of the lever G will not leave it during the extreme movement of the sleeve upon the tube, thus enabling the charge of powder to be varied without changing or disturbing the operative parts of the device.

Claims.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the charge-tube, the lower sliding gate, and its spring, of the sliding sleeve D, the upper gate or cut-off, and the lever connected with said gate and sleeve and operating in connection with an upright arm on the lower gate, substantially as shown and set forth, so that said sleeve may slide lengthwise on the charge-tube, without disconnecting said lever from the lower gate.

2. In combination with the elements of the preceding clause, I claim the slot b, notches a, and pin c, the parts being of such relative dimensions and arranged, substantially as' shown and described, soas to permit the lengthwise and partial rotary movement of the sleeve t'o such an extent only as will still maintain unbroken the connection between the lever G and varm H. Y T. L. STURTEVANT.

Witnesses: v

FRED. CURTIS, W. E. BOARDMAN. 

